one year, six months
by McMuffin
Summary: A drunken Mark shows up on Addison's doorstep in the aftermath of Lexie's death. Maddison.


_BWAHAHA. I killed Lexie. And I feel no remorse. I'm sorry, that's kind of bitchy, but I really, really hate her character._

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* * *

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Sometimes things fade.

Addison's deep in sleep when a loud knocking echoes through her house. She groans, _who would be visiting at... two in the morning?,_ and gets out of bed, wearing only the t-shirt of one of her ex-boyfriends. Maybe Mark's, maybe Kevin's, she's not really sure anymore. It's a comfortable shirt. All she knows is she's going through the men, and getting no where with love. She trudges downstairs and nearly trips on a shoe left near the bottom step. The banging gets louder and she flicks on the kitchen light.

"Addison?" The cry sounds desperate, and her breath catches in her throat when she realizes who it is.

"Mark?" She barely gets out as she opens the door, because he practically collapses into her arms.

"Oh, Addie."

She drags him inside and wrinkles up her nose. "You look and smell like crap. Are you drunk? And what are you doing in LA?"

"I just," he proceeds to make a few unintelligible sounds, before leaning against her kitchen counter. "You 'da best Addie. I really, really - "

"Stop. I do not have conversations with drunks. I am going to get you clean and sober before you explain why you're here. In my house. In Los Angeles. At two freakin' AM."

"'Splay," he says.

"What?" She reaches for a glass from a cupboard.

"Sp... lay... kay... okay."

She rolls her eyes and hands him a glass of water. "Drink."

He gulps down the water and she notices how bloodshot and puffy his eyes are. Great. He's not only drunk, but he's been crying.

"Mug," he mutters. "I mean... more."

She gets him more water from the purifier in her fridge door and hands him a box of crackers. He slowly eats a handful of crackers before she walks around the counter to him.

"Let's go upstairs so you can shower."

"'Kay."

She wraps an arm around his waist and he leans on her more than she would like as they walk upstairs.

"Your boobs are tanned," he mutters, leering down her shirt.

"I forgot how blatantly pervy you are when drunk."

"And your legs are tanned too... And your ass."

"You can't see my ass!"

She leads him into the bathroom as he continues to lean into her for support.

"X-Ray vision."

She laughs softly at his comment and shoves him through the doorway.

"Help me," he mutters with a smirk.

"Mark Sloan, I am not helping undress you!"

He flashes her the smile that always makes her flustered and weak at the knees.

"You are hopeless!" she exclaims, and helps his trembling fingers unbutton his shirt. He slips it over his head and drops it to the floor.

"Pants?" he asks, a little less drunk now that he's eaten and drunk water.

Mark manages to pop the button and as he reaches for the zipper Addison looks down and groans, shaking her head. He smirks and she continues to shake her head, averting her gaze from his crotch.

"I'm not having sex with you, Mark!"

He gives her a puppy dog look.

"No!"

He drops his pants and she tries to look away.

"Addie..." Whining.

"You have a girlfriend!" She turns to stare at the wall, gulping.

"No, I don't," he slurs. "Please, Addie? I need you."

She bites down on her lip, hating her lack of self control around him.

"Get in the shower," she says. Then. "Shoes off!"

He's turned on the taps and is stepping into the shower when Addison slides in next to him and presses her lips up to his as his hands move to shut the glass door.

* * *

"So why are you here, Mark?" Addison asks around four AM when he's dressed in fresh clothes. He'd brought a suitcase and had left it outside when he first arrived. He leans back into the arm rest as Addison hugs a pillow to her clothed body.

"I have a daughter."

"Wow," she says, stunned for a moment. "How old?"

"Eighteen. And she's pregnant."

"Double wow. Although I can't deny it wasn't likely," she smirks.

"Hmm..."

Addison grins. "Grandpa."

"Oh shut up," he smirks.

"So, um... This is the reason you're on my doorstep at 2AM, drunk?"

He rubs at his eyes, keeping awake.

"Lexie chopped off her finger when she found out about my daughter. She got a bad blood infection... She died."

Addison gasps. "What? When!"

"A week ago," he mutters.

"So, what? Now I'm some kind of rebound fuck?" she exclaims, standing up. "The whore you go to when you're hurting?"

"No!" He stands and grasps her hands before she can move away. "No. You are not a whore, and you are not a rebound. Lexie was the rebound... And she's dead... And all I can think about is you. You, Addie. I've been trying, this past year, to get over you, and I can't. And I just keep thinking about the last time we kissed before you moved to LA."

Addison makes a soft noise in protest, her heart can't take this.

"It was before work one day, after a night of amazing, hot sex... Before the stupid bet, before Karev and Lexie - "

Addison gasps at his knowledge of Alex.

"You were in a rush and I pulled you down to me... And kissed you softly - "

Addison stares at the carpet.

"And you left and then a few days later when I saw you, you said we couldn't keep sleeping together." He squeezes her hand. "You were right."

She looks up and is surprised to find tears in his eyes.

"We can't just sleep together... I want to be with you."

She feels a tear drip down her cheek. It leaves a cool trail.

"Marry me?" he asks softly.

She gasps softly and bites her lip, shaking her head as more droplets fall.

"I can't... Mark... It's not the right time."

"Well, when is? It's not now, it's not when I asked you in New York... I've got the damn ring in my suitcase. I still have it, Addie."

She squeezes his hand as he lets a tear fall free.

"Ask me if we're still together in six months," she whispers.

He smiles hopefully. "So you'll date me?"

She nods. "Yes!" She smiles.

He pulls her down onto the couch with him, kissing her fiercely.

* * *

Six months later and a diamond mounted in platinum sits snugly on a finger as it interlocks with the fingers of another hand. The couple stroll along the sand, waiting for the call about whether the IVF worked, while their chocolate coloured puppy runs around their feet, trying to trip them.

Sometimes things last forever.


End file.
